Question about installing a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme

[bovinda]

Hey guys, my first time installing an aftermarket heatsink. I have some really basic questions. I did find this handy thread to explain some stuff, but these silly questions remain unanswered:

1. Where exactly do I install the silicon strips -- on the very edge (the thin ridge) or just medial to that?

2. On the base plate (doing a 775 installation), do I leave that plastic piece on or is that supposed to come off?

3. I'm using Arctic Silver 5. Should I follow their instructions (which say only apply to the CPU) or Thermalright's (which say apply to both CPU and heatsink?

4. Should I wash the bottom of the heatsink with alcohol? Is it important to avoid touching it like it is touching the CPU?

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: bovinda
1. Where exactly do I install the silicon strips -- on the very edge (the thin ridge) or just medial to that?

2. On the base plate (doing a 775 installation), do I leave that plastic piece on or is that supposed to come off?

3. I'm using Arctic Silver 5. Should I follow their instructions (which say only apply to the CPU) or Thermalright's (which say apply to both CPU and heatsink?

4. Should I wash the bottom of the heatsink with alcohol? Is it important to avoid touching it like it is touching the CPU?

1- http://thermalright.info/therm...nfo.php?articles_id=53
They are supposed to provide a cushioning action for the fan so that the fan does not rattle on the sink.

2- DO NOT peel off the white plastic sheet from the backplate.
If you do, the backplate will stick to the motherboard and will not come off without damaging something!
See this thread for a better solution.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...111635&highlight_key=y

3- This is why it is handy to be able to easily mount and unmount the sink without having to remove the motherboard. You can just apply to the CPU following Arctic's instructions and install. Then, remove and inspect the base to see how well the paste has spread. If it has, there is no need to apply to both.

4- You should not touch the base of the sink. The oil from your fingers could have a negative effect on cooling.
You can use Alcohol to clean it.
If you remove the sink to re-seat, you must use alcohol and clean both the CPU and the base before applying new paste.

 

[bovinda]

Thanks Navid, that answers all my questions!

I have one more question though--which way should I face the heatsink/fan for optimal function? It just occurred to me that there's 4 possible directions I could fit it. Any place I could find more info on this?

I'm putting it on an abit IP35 pro mobo in a P182 case.

EDIT -- one more - do you place the fan so it's blowing into the heatsink, or away from it? I'm guessing into?

 

[Navid]

The best orientation is to have the fan blow through the sink towards the rear case exhaust fan.

So, standing on the left side of your tower looking at it, you will see:


Top of the case ---------> -----------------------------------------------------------



Exhaust fan ------- TR Sink ----- TR fan



^
|
|
Back of the case

 

[bovinda]

Perfect...thanks so much, Navid. I'm off to assemble before I hit the turkey and stuffing. :beer:

 

[bovinda]

OK, one last, possibly embarressing, question. How do I know which side of the 120 mm fan is the front and which is the back--I'm not sure which blows what direction?

 

[nowayout99]

Look very carefully around the sides of the fans, you should find arrows to show you the direction it blows. But if not, the fan most likely blows towards the labeled side (have the label face the U120).

 

[Navid]

Look at one of the fan blades. It sort of resembles a spoon.
The blades spoon the air and that is how air is moved.
Air moves away from the inside of the blade.

 

[PowerHungry42]

Just look at the fan, where you see the wires coming out of the motor indicates that the fan is blowing in that direction.

 

[Daverino]

Plug it in and feel which way it blows. . . then write an arrow on it with a sharpie? Guarantee the method will work every time.

Also, when cleaning the thermal paste off the chip, use a coffee filter torn in two with alcohol. They are cheap, absorbent and utterly lint free.

 

[bovinda]

Thanks guys, got it figured out, it seems to be working and in the right direction. Should have everything up and running shortly. Appreciate the help Navid and others!

 

[zagood]

FYI, I just installed this thing with a Scythe Slip-Stream 1900rpm (on a rheobus) and I'm lovin it. If I knew before what I knew now, I would have just bought the 800rpm one and let it run. No real difference in temps between 800rpm and 1900rpm. I'll pick one of those up later.

FYI: these fans would be perfect for rads if you can't use 38mm for some reason.

-z

 

[BonzaiDuck]

There are some varied opinions on the matter of CFM throughput -- specifically re the TR tower-type coolers.

Never to be short on cooling, I'd used a Delta 120x38mm tri-blade (51 dBA at full-bore) on my SI-120 -- another ThermalRight model. I think the fan's top-end was above 3,700 rpm. It was very quiet (relatively speaking) at 2,500, and I control it so that it mostly runs at 1,900 -- spinning up at a temperature threshold to only 2,500.

Somebody suggested that higher-air-pressure and more CFMs pushed through the TR-Ultra-120 and Extreme might enhance (lower) the thermal resistance considerably. My personal, though incomplete experience, suggested that there were no additional gains beyond a certain threshold for any of these heatpipe coolers, but I keep an open mind.

I have an experiment in the offing that will duct two 140x25mm Sharkoons to the TR-Ultra-120's input-side. I'll post those results, once I get over the procrastination for actually doing it.

But I HAVE degraded my CFMs slightly through controlling an exhaust-side fan on the Ultra -- from a peak of 2,600 rpm down to around 1,900. It DID make a difference of a few degrees C in the highest core (TJunction) temperature reading under load.

On the slightly humorous side, I visited my friend the other evening who'd just purchased a Stacker 830 case. Geez!! He's got TEN FANS in that sucker!! With 4 140mm Aerocools in that hinged side-panel frame. I deliberately choose not to berate him for the overkill . . . .

 

[WoodButcher]

Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
On the slightly humorous side, I visited my friend the other evening who'd just purchased a Stacker 830 case. Geez!! He's got TEN FANS in that sucker!! With 4 140mm Aerocools in that hinged side-panel frame. I deliberately choose not to berate him for the overkill . . . .

For chrismas I'd suggest mooring lines and tie-downs.
I think we all have done this at least once, I had 6 delta 38 mm fans on a Thermochill rad in push- pull, lift-off was acheived. For some it takes personal experience to learn, room temp is, what it is,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[zagood]

Ten fans? Probably all on intake too...do the sides bulge?

Looks like the "point of diminishing returns" is around 40-45cfm on the TR120-Ex.

I find the exhaust CFMs mainly affecting the chipset temps, with a small effect on CPU, and almost no effect on GPU. Intake CFM lowers GPU temps, the GTS heatsink loves fresh air.

Always interested to read your takes on ducting. Will you finally just come up with one cure-all design, made out of some common household material like a cereal box, that we can all do at home and lower our temps by 20c?

/derail

-z

 

[BonzaiDuck]

That's funny -- I think at one time I was considering the use of those round Quaker-Oats cardboard barrels to duct 140mm fans.

On that note, if the exhaust fans duct air from the VGA as well as the mobo, they really make a difference in GPU temps, but again, intake and exhaust are both integral. That's why I think the CM Cosmos case sucks like an old Victorian bathtub. . . .

As for a diminishing returns on CFMs: I might tend to agree, but CFM doesn't measure density. That's why I want to fine-tune my duct mod just a tad more to double the active intake to the U-120.

Somehow, I believe in an air-cooling design that minimizes number of fans deployed while providing a constrained maximum for air-flow and temperature reduction. Just blowing a lot of air around the case doesn't do nearly so much if half -- even a third -- of that air is being mixed with the intake from the fans that do the blowing.

but I have to say this: the four Aero-Cool 140mm-ers with the blue-LEDs really trick out my friend's Stacker 830 sidepanel.